--- title: "SmartSub vs auto-subs" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/buxuku-smartsub-vs-tmoroney-auto-subs" tools: ["buxuku-smartsub", "tmoroney-auto-subs"] --- # SmartSub vs auto-subs *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick SmartSub if smartSub is a desktop application for subtitling tasks like transcription, translation, proofreading, and subtitle burn-in with local-first processing and GPU acceleration; pick auto-subs if auto-subs is an on-device subtitle generation tool built with TypeScript and Rust for seamless integration with DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, and After Effects. [SmartSub](https://smartsub.linxiaodong.com/) reports 5.3k GitHub stars, 400 forks, and 50 open issues, last pushed Sep 16, 2026. [auto-subs](https://tom-moroney.com/auto-subs/) has 4.3k stars, 284 forks, and 295 open issues, last pushed Sep 19, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [SmartSub's repository](https://github.com/buxuku/SmartSub) and [auto-subs's repository](https://github.com/tmoroney/auto-subs). | | [SmartSub](/tools/buxuku-smartsub.md) | [auto-subs](/tools/tmoroney-auto-subs.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A desktop subtitle tool supporting ASR and translation | On-device subtitle generation for video editing software. | | Stars | 5,253 | 4,250 | | Forks | 400 | 284 | | Open issues | 50 | 295 | | Language | TypeScript | TypeScript | | Adopt for | SmartSub is a desktop application for subtitling tasks like transcription, translation, proofreading, and subtitle burn-in with local-first processing and GPU acceleration. | Auto-subs is an on-device subtitle generation tool built with TypeScript and Rust for seamless integration with DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, and After Effects. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | MIT | | Categories | Speech & Audio | Developer Tools, Speech & Audio | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [SmartSub](/tools/buxuku-smartsub.md) | [auto-subs](/tools/tmoroney-auto-subs.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 3d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 50 | 295 | | Stars delta | +629 (30d) | +311 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +7 (30d) | +97 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/tmoroney-auto-subs/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: SmartSub - **Adopt for:** SmartSub is a desktop application for subtitling tasks like transcription, translation, proofreading, and subtitle burn-in with local-first processing and GPU acceleration. ## Decision facts: auto-subs - **Pricing:** freemium - Freely downloadable under the MIT license but consider supporting the developer for continued improvements. - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM - **Adopt for:** Auto-subs is an on-device subtitle generation tool built with TypeScript and Rust for seamless integration with DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, and After Effects. ## Choose when ### Choose SmartSub if… - Tags unique to SmartSub: asr, gpu acceleration, subtitle, translation. - Need multi-engine ASR support including both local and online services - More GitHub stars (5.3k vs 4.3k) - visibility, not fit. ### Choose auto-subs if… - Pricing: Freely downloadable under the MIT license but consider supporting the developer for continued improvements.. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM. - Tags unique to auto-subs: ai, cross-platform, davinci-resolve, premiere. - Also covers Developer Tools. - Use Auto-subs when you need seamless subtitle integration directly within video editing software like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, or After Effects. ## When NOT to use SmartSub - Looking for mobile app capabilities instead of desktop application support - Do not need the complexity of multiple engines or advanced GPU acceleration configurations ## When NOT to use auto-subs - Do not use Auto-subs if the requirement is for cloud-based real-time speech-to-text functionality as it operates entirely on-device. - Avoid using Auto-subs in environments where Python or other languages are required over TypeScript and Rust due to potential compatibility issues. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between SmartSub and auto-subs? SmartSub: A desktop subtitle tool supporting ASR and translation. auto-subs: On-device subtitle generation for video editing software.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose SmartSub over auto-subs? Choose SmartSub over auto-subs when Tags unique to SmartSub: asr, gpu acceleration, subtitle, translation; Need multi-engine ASR support including both local and online services; More GitHub stars (5.3k vs 4.3k) - visibility, not fit. ### When should I choose auto-subs over SmartSub? Choose auto-subs over SmartSub when Pricing: Freely downloadable under the MIT license but consider supporting the developer for continued improvements.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Tags unique to auto-subs: ai, cross-platform, davinci-resolve, premiere; Also covers Developer Tools; Use Auto-subs when you need seamless subtitle integration directly within video editing software like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, or After Effects. ### When should I avoid SmartSub? Looking for mobile app capabilities instead of desktop application support Do not need the complexity of multiple engines or advanced GPU acceleration configurations ### When should I avoid auto-subs? Do not use Auto-subs if the requirement is for cloud-based real-time speech-to-text functionality as it operates entirely on-device. Avoid using Auto-subs in environments where Python or other languages are required over TypeScript and Rust due to potential compatibility issues. ### Is SmartSub or auto-subs more popular on GitHub? SmartSub has more GitHub stars (5,253 vs 4,250). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are SmartSub and auto-subs open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (SmartSub: MIT, auto-subs: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to SmartSub or auto-subs? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [SmartSub alternatives](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/alternatives) and [auto-subs alternatives](/tools/tmoroney-auto-subs/alternatives) ([SmartSub markdown twin](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/alternatives.md), [auto-subs markdown twin](/tools/tmoroney-auto-subs/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/buxuku-smartsub-vs-tmoroney-auto-subs.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, SmartSub or auto-subs? SmartSub: Very active. auto-subs: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for SmartSub and auto-subs? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [SmartSub trust report](/tools/buxuku-smartsub/trust); [auto-subs trust report](/tools/tmoroney-auto-subs/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=buxuku-smartsub`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=buxuku-smartsub) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_